The best way to follow up with franchise leads is text first — in under 60 seconds — followed by a structured multi-touch sequence across text, phone, and email over 14 days. Industry best practice is under 5 minutes; the brands winning on speed are getting there in under 60 seconds.
Text first because it works. Calls go to voicemail from unknown numbers. Emails land in inboxes candidates check twice a day. A text is read within minutes on average — and a candidate who just submitted a franchise inquiry is still holding their phone. Reaching them at that moment, before they've closed the tab, is the single most important thing your follow-up system can do.
The rest of the sequence keeps you in the conversation through the candidate's natural research window. Vary the message — don't just check in, add value. Reference the brand, ask a qualifying question, share a relevant data point. Follow-up that sounds like a human conversation converts better than a drip campaign that sounds like a drip campaign.
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